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marc leonardo

marc leonardo

Independent Designer / Performance + Outdoor Apparel Design · [ T E N E T ] Design

stowe, VT

In My Own Words

Design leader with 20+ years of experience in creative direction and performance and outdoor apparel. Passionate about minimal, functional design with a contemporary edge. Based in Stowe, VT—a four-season playground that fuels my obsession with great products.

Work Experience

Independent Designer / Creative Direction / Apparel Design

[ T E N E T ] Design

2024 – Present

Manage client relationships and project timelines, delivering brand relevant creative direction and apparel design that align with brand vision and consumer mindset. Collaborate with fabric suppliers and manufacturers to source materials, oversee sample creation, and ensure quality standards are met.

VP Apparel

NOBULL

2022 – 2024

Directed apparel design team by providing strategic vision and leadership to cross-functional teams in shaping design direction across Men's and Women's apparel collections. Implemented creative strategies aligned with NOBULL overarching objectives and brand positioning. Executed seasonal design and direction for NOBULL partnerships, overseeing the development of all CrossFit and NFL Combine apparel collections. Contributed to the creation and delivery of consumer-specific product stories and enhanced brand engagement by collaborating seamlessly with NOBULL senior leadership teams.

Key Accomplishments • Drove the establishment and growth of strategic collaborations to enhance NOBULL market presence by leading and collaborating with key brand partnerships.

• Concept creation of performance and athleisure apparel collections, ensuring distinctive and competitive edge in the sportswear and athletic markets.

• Streamlined process and timelines to deliver products to market efficiently by forming strategic partnerships with product development, product planning and marketing teams, while consistently improving overall operational efficiencies.

Senior Director Design Global Apparel

Reebok International

2017 – 2021

Steered seasonal creative direction in collaboration with cross-functional design teams for all Men's and Women's categories, by directing apparel and graphic design teams. Facilitated collaboration with Reebok brand partners with the development of all Reebok partnership collections by leading a Special Projects Teams. Optimized process and timelines to bring products to market efficiently and enhance overall operational efforts with multiple Product Marketing, CTC and Merchandising teams, both domestically and internationally.

Key Accomplishments • Led discussions for all new partnerships, driving conversations related to collaborative brand design initiatives.

• Contributed to trend analysis, color selection, material development and future innovation vision.

• Conceptualized and delivered compelling brand-enhancing product stories and ensured powerful connection with consumers by partnering with creative strategy teams.

Senior Director Footwear Apparel

Reebok International

2015 – 2017

Established and propelled concept direction, vision and narrative throughout all stages of product design, product excellence and business strategy. Guided the Special Projects team, steering the development of all Men's and Women's Reebok CrossFit, UFC and Reebok Combat apparel collections. Collaborated actively with Footwear/Apparel Innovation teams, contributing significantly to concept product development.

Key Accomplishments • Led and managed both footwear and apparel design teams with all inline/seasonal product direction and all Reebok partners.

• Executed all Executive Leader product presentations for the training BU, ensuring compelling and impactful communication of all design led product strategies and initiatives.

Design Director Apparel Special Projects

Reebok International

2011 – 2015

Executed and initiated concept direction, vision and narrative across all stages of performance design, product excellence and business strategies, specifically for Reebok Training, Reebok CrossFit, UFC and Fashion Colab projects.

Education

Interests

sportswearGraphic designMountain bikingSnowboardinggravel bikingfootwear designApparel DesignTextilesFashion IllustrationArt Direction

Skills

Creative DirectionApparel DesignDesign LeadershipProduct DesignGraphic DesignOuterwear DesignSportswear DesignTechnical DesignForecastingTrend & Color

Industries

BikeGolfDiveCreative AgenciesFashionFishingLifestyleMoto & PowersportsMusicOutdoorRunSkateSnowStreetwearSurfSwimTechTriathlonWakeYogaHealth & FitnessOther

Activity

See all

marc leonardo posted · 2025-11-12

! Category Design Is Over ! Consumers don’t buy product now. They buy continuity. They want clothing that moves the way they live, across environment, community, mood, terrain…activity. One system. One identity. Style is no longer aesthetic. It is belonging. Startups understand this. They don’t chase demographics, they find identity clusters. Running culture solved it. Designing and understanding the product that works for 6am tempo runs, needs to work at 6pm. Same person, same codes, no separation between athlete and individual. I’m working with a client in the outdoor space chasing that same unlock. A New York client/consumer who heads north (VT) for air, snow and weekend turns shouldn’t need two wardrobes or two versions of themselves. Their taste is constant. Their expectations are constant. Their visual language is constant. Outdoor hasn’t caught up. The templates repeat. The playbook is fixed. The culture looks the same season after season. This is exactly why freelance designers matter. Unfiltered perspectives. New models of thinking. No legacy borders. ‘ Back-Country ‘ ideas applied to looking forward, not back Continuity. A system that understands the full radius of a life.

2 likes

marc leonardo commented on a post · 2025-05-06

@ Heather Denis  Thanks

marc leonardo

Stop Calling Athleisure Performance Apparel: Athleisure is faking it. Performance is overbuilt. The future? Smarter, fewer, better. We don’t need more clothes—we need better ones. Pieces that function, adapt, and last without the marketing fluff. The next shift in performance design isn’t just about sweat-wicking and stretch—it’s about creating versatile, intelligent apparel that replaces excess with efficiency. Athleisure made comfort mainstream. Performance pushed technical innovation. But neither solved the real issue: Why own so much when one great piece can do it all? :Minimal consumption, maximum performance. A single piece should move seamlessly from training to travel to everyday life. :Style + Function, no compromise. Wearability matters. Performance should feel natural, not forced. :True versatility. Apparel designed to be lived in—engineered for movement but refined enough for any setting. This is where I’ve always designed—at the intersection of technical function and modern wearability. Eliminating the unnecessary, refining what works, and designing for people, not just performance. The industry is shifting. Consumers are done with overhyped tech and fast fashion cycles. They want more from less. Brands that recognize this will lead the next era of performance apparel. What’s one piece of performance gear you wish could do it all? Drop it in the comments! hashtag#PerformanceDesign hashtag#LessButBetter hashtag#MinimalConsumption hashtag#WearableInnovation hashtag#FunctionalStyle If you're ready to rethink apparel design, let’s talk. check it out… https://lnkd.in/eQ58BKKH

marc leonardo liked Chad Mihalick's post · 2025-05-05

I happened upon this gem of a diagram. Definitely did not get 100% on the naming quiz. But did alright.

5 likes

marc leonardo posted · 2025-05-04

Stop Calling Athleisure Performance Apparel: Athleisure is faking it. Performance is overbuilt. The future? Smarter, fewer, better. We don’t need more clothes—we need better ones. Pieces that function, adapt, and last without the marketing fluff. The next shift in performance design isn’t just about sweat-wicking and stretch—it’s about creating versatile, intelligent apparel that replaces excess with efficiency. Athleisure made comfort mainstream. Performance pushed technical innovation. But neither solved the real issue: Why own so much when one great piece can do it all? :Minimal consumption, maximum performance. A single piece should move seamlessly from training to travel to everyday life. :Style + Function, no compromise. Wearability matters. Performance should feel natural, not forced. :True versatility. Apparel designed to be lived in—engineered for movement but refined enough for any setting. This is where I’ve always designed—at the intersection of technical function and modern wearability. Eliminating the unnecessary, refining what works, and designing for people, not just performance. The industry is shifting. Consumers are done with overhyped tech and fast fashion cycles. They want more from less. Brands that recognize this will lead the next era of performance apparel. What’s one piece of performance gear you wish could do it all? Drop it in the comments! hashtag#PerformanceDesign hashtag#LessButBetter hashtag#MinimalConsumption hashtag#WearableInnovation hashtag#FunctionalStyle If you're ready to rethink apparel design, let’s talk. check it out… https://lnkd.in/eQ58BKKH

4 likes · 1 comment

marc leonardo commented on a post · 2025-05-04

@ Chad Mihalick  For sure - let me know when you have available time this week. Looking forward to it.

marc leonardo

Good Design Is Expensive - Cutting Corners Costs Even More Every brand faces a choice: Invest in real design or…pay for the mistakes later. Good design isn’t just about creating something that looks right for the moment. It’s about seeing where the brand needs to go - and building the roadmap to get there. Experienced designers don’t guess. They don’t chase trends. They deliver product that strengthens identity, grows loyalty, and creates lasting market impact. What real investment buys: : Vision + Foresight: Focused on growth, not filling gaps. : Precision: Faster paths to the right solutions, less wasted time. : Strategic Amplification: Design that builds brand equity, not just products. : Momentum: Accelerated growth, stronger consumer connections. When design is treated like a commodity, brands pay for it later: : Endless Rounds: No clear vision = more wasted cycles. : Designer-First Thinking: Style over strategy. : Disconnected Products: Missed market connection. : “It Just Doesn't Land": Weak execution = weak results. In design just like in business you get what you pay for. - Good design isn't expensive - It’s an investment in survival, reputation, and future growth. The real risk? Betting a brand’s future on bargain decisions. Let’s talk… https://lnkd.in/eQ58BKKH

Connections

Kyle ShieldsSoft Goods Designer at PING GolfSamantha PetersSalesBrandon BarberSenior DesignerCaleb MabasaFounder of @BlessedToBe | Digital Design student at University of Colorado Denver | Creative, Adaptable, DaringJordan UhlTechnical Product Developer | Technical Specs, Creative DirectionCoriann TothDesigner - Footwear - Apparel - Accessories